E-Mu Xboard 49 Review Manual

Brand: E-Mu

Model: Xboard 49

Type: Review Manual

This manual is also suitable for

Xboard 25

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REVIEWS

TECH SECTOR

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When I think back to my first studio—where I was surrounded by an ominous wall of keyboards, sound

modules and flashing lights—I can’t help but pat myself on the back for deciding to streamline my setup.

The days of walking into my studio and feeling like I’m starting up a launch sequence for a UFO are a thing

of the past. Instead of navigating a sea of cables, I have simplified my home-studio setup to comprise only

the bare necessities: my computer, a solid audio interface and Apple Logic Pro 7. So what was missing? A

MIDI controller.

I have been using MIDI controllers in my professional studio and to teach Logic at SAE Institute for quite

some time now. Although I like the controllers that I’ve been using, I keep a close eye on what’s new in the

market, but nothing has really impressed me. So when I heard about E-mu’s new Xboard line of MIDI control-

lers, I was intrigued and curious. But the first question I must ask is what makes these different?

The most obvious difference is that the Xboard line ships with Ableton Live Lite 4, the E-mu Proteus X LE

desktop sound module and the Xboard Control software. This package not only gets you up and running

right away with a great program like Live but also gives you a sound module. For anyone who is a novice at

computer-based music, this package would be ideal to get you started. I must note that the Proteus X LE

software is currently only available for PC users, but, luckily, the control and editing software works on both

Mac and PC.

SOMETHING NEW

First, take a minute to get into some of the physical differences between the Xboards and the other controllers

on the market. The E-mu units have 16 rotary-style knobs and one slider. For those who like knobs to tweak,

this is great news; for all of the others who like sliders, you’re out of luck on this one. The main advantages with

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Pros: Elegant, well-designed MIDI control-

lers. Full-size keys with aftertouch. Included

software is a great value.

Cons: Using advanced MIDI functions can

be cumbersome.

Contact: www.emu.com



Mac: Mac OS 10.2 or later; native USB port

PC: Windows 2000 SP4/XP SP1 or later;

native USB port

MADE TO PLAY > The E-mu

Xboard 25 and 49 (pictured)

each feature 16 MIDI-assignable,

rotary-style knobs and one slider.

Each unit also has the ability to

save a max of 16 presets.

CLASSIC FEEL > Both of the

Xboards feature full-size keys

and E-mu’s synth-action keybed,

which includes true aftertouch.

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REVIEW >

knobs rather than sliders are space and cost. You get

more space, and the price remains on par with other

entry-level MIDI controllers. The next feature that

stands out on the Xboards is aftertouch. If you are a

fan of this fine MIDI function, you will be glad to know

that the Xboards are some of few MIDI controllers that

come with true aftertouch. The nonweighted, full-size

keys have great response and feature E-mu’s synth-

action keybed. To activate aftertouch, just press the

keys down easily—unlike other aftertouch functions,

which feel like you about need to break your keys

to make them work. The aftertouch has a sensitive

response and feels totally natural. What’s more, it can

be turned on and off in the edit menu.

Some of the more unique features of the Xboards

include a 16-channel control mode that allows the

16 knobs to send one CC number each. This allows

you to control the volume or pan of 16 different

MIDI devices on 16 separate MIDI channels. The

Xboards also have the ability to send MIDI CC and

program-change data when recalling a patch. This

function is great for linking a soft-synth patch to one

of the Xboard’s 16 patches. That way, if you have a

virtual synth open and you recall a preset patch on

your Xboard, it will load a preset patch on your synth

when it recalls the patch from the Xboard. You can

store a max of 16 presets in the Xboard’s internal

memory. And with the included software editor, it’s

possible to save and access presets with your host

computer—the sky’s the limit.

TWO OF A KIND

The Xboard comes in two sizes: 49 keys and 25

keys. And the only difference between the two ver-

sions is the number of keys. Both have a MIDI Out

port, a USB connection, an on/off switch and a 6V

DC power jack located on the back. Both also have

standard mod and pitch wheels.

All of the back-panel connections are rather stan-

dard, but what did grab my attention was the bat-

tery compartment located underneath the control-

ler. Yes, that’s right: The Xboards can run on just

three AA batteries. Whenever I come across a device

that runs on batteries, my interest is piqued. There’s

something appealing about being able to create

music in any setting, and gear that runs on batter-

ies is just begging to be used anywhere there’s an

audience and anytime you find inspiration. A cool

thing to note about the battery compartment is that

it provides you with three extra spaces to store a full

set of backup batteries.

TEST RUN

After reading the manual and realizing all of the

cool new things I could do with this MIDI controller,

I was anxious to put it to the test. I first installed

the software on two computers: an Apple Mac G4/

dual 533MHz, running Mac OS 10.3.8, with 1 GB of

RAM and a Pentium III/1.6GHz Dell Latitude D 600

PC, running Windows XP, with 512 MB of RAM. The

sequencing programs I used were Logic Pro 7 for

the Mac and Live Lite (included with both Xboards)

for the PC.

In both of the test situations, neither computer

was loaded to the gills, but I wanted to make sure

that both of the Xboards would function as easily

and reliably for users with less memory and slower

processors. In addition to the computer sequencer

test, I also used a Boss DR-660 drum machine to

see how well the Xboards could control it in a live

setup (more on this later). Installing the software on

both computers was a snap. I simply followed the

install instructions from the manual and finished in

about 10 minutes. The next step was to see if my

sequencing programs recognized the Xboards. In

both cases, Logic and Live were able to recognize

the Xboards via the USB connection.

Now that the software was installed and the con-

troller was working, I wanted to check out the editing

software that is also included. I went to the Xboard

application and ran it to see how the systems would

support running the two applications at the same

time. I’m glad to say that both machines chugged

along happily; I was able to run the Xboard editor

and the sequencing application at the same time

without any major issues. Anytime two programs

are trying to access the same piece of hardware, like

a MIDI controller, there are expected bugs to work

around, but, overall, I found it easy to use the editing

software and sequencing software simultaneously.

The editing software provides you with an intuitive

interface that makes changing MIDI CC numbers a

snap. The control and editing software also allows

users to store and recall patches directly from their

computers’ hard drives. So as you can see, by using

the editing software, you are able to store well over

16 patches to your computer.

LIVE USE

If you need a MIDI controller for live performances,

you might want to think about these next features.

Each Xboard has a mode called Knob Bypass that

allows you to move any of the 16 CC knobs without

sending control data to your sequencing program

or MIDI device. This Knob Bypass mode by itself is

not all that cool, but when you put it together with

the Snapshot feature, it proves to be quite powerful.

When pressed, the Snapshot button will send the

current values for all 16 knobs in one shot. So you

can bypass the knobs, change the values and then

unbypass the knobs and press Snapshot to send

all of the new values to the device without missing

a beat. To further test how an Xboard can be use-

ful in a live setup, I tested the 16-channel control

mode with the DR-660 drum machine. Once again,

I encountered no issues to mention.

Although it was painless to get the Xboards up

and running as basic MIDI controllers, if you want

to use more of the advanced features, I recom-

mend ordering takeout and making a night of it.

Getting an Xboard to send out the CC numbers on

program recall will take some time depending on

what sequencing program you’re using and what

soft synth you have loaded. For instance, if you want

to send a program change message to a soft synth,

it has to be able to change programs via a program

change message. I found the Native Instruments

Pro-53 works well for this. But rest assured, if you

have any problems, you’re not on your own. The nice

people at E-mu provide you with a number to a live

technical-support representative. I decided to give

tech support a call, and I am happy to report that I

had no hold time and found the representatives to

be not only helpful but also very friendly.

Overall, the Xboards are solid MIDI controllers that

include some useful software—a trend that I hope

will continue. It would be great if manufacturers

started shipping MIDI controllers with full-version

soft synths instead of demos and LE versions. The

advanced MIDI control features on the Xboards

are exciting and provide some insight into what to

expect from future MIDI controllers. Furthermore,

both units were a pleasure to use and actually play.

It almost goes without saying, but there’s just some-

thing about using a keyboard controller that feels

and plays like a real instrument.

GOIN’ PLACES > The Xboard 25 utilizes a two-octave

keyboard but is otherwise functionally identical to

the larger Xboard 49.

E-Mu Xboard 49 Review Manual

Brand: E-Mu

Model: Xboard 49

Type: Review Manual

This manual is also suitable for

Xboard 25

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E-Mu Xboard 49 Review Manual

This manual is also suitable for

E-Mu Xboard 49 Review Manual

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